Do you know how much He loves you?

I mean, seriously do you know?  I hope not.  I mean, I hope you know that you can never know how much he loves you.  The minute we start to say we grasp that love, I think is the minute that we’ve lost touch.

I read something the other day, that knocked my socks off.  I’ve been in constant amazement ever since I’ve read it.  I’ve constantly been awed by the love that God has for me.  I don’t know if anyone else can tell it but me, (I bet my wife can) But I’ve been just a little bit brighter.  (and I’ve been cussing a little less)  I’ve come to the conc.. no.. the realization that I cannot even begin to fathom the love that Jesus has for me.  That’s OK.  I don’t think we will ever be able to, until we get to the party.

God desires us.  God wants us around, sometimes more than we want to be around.  The story of the Prodigal Son should captivate that.  (I contemplated adding a metaphore, where the earth was the younger son, working with the swine /swine flu, but then in better judgement decided against it) God forgives us.  He doesn’t make us wait, and wonder if we’re being forgiven.  He doesn’t hold it over our heads. He doesn’t say, “I hear you, I’ll E-mail you later and let you know my decision.”  All the things you’ve done in your life to screw up,  God’s over it.  He knows it, but it’s forgiven.  Crazy right? The question is, can you forgive yourself?

We’re not chastised.  We’re not forgotten.  We’re not hated.  We are just a bunch of failures on this earth, who are loved.  Loved more than we can ever imagine.  Our sin was taken up for us, that’s just one of the miracles.  He rose again, defeating death so we can have life!!  (’nuff said)

I pray now, that the moment I think I start to understand his love, that I get knocked off of my high horse.  I pray that I’m kept in awe and wonderment.  I pray that what Jesus has done for me already is enough to never question His love, and to never understand it either.

There is nothing a church or person has to do to make that relevent my friends.  If that gospel isn’t relevent, then something is seriously wrong.

I have a dilemma. It’s also a confession.

I don’t get it.  I don’t understand the hype of all of the conferences.  I’ve noticed them more and more, and I’m sure there are some things you learn at them.  What I don’t understand is why there are so many of them.  And why all of them are ‘epic’.

I don’t understand why my twitter explodes with hashtags and motivational comments for the span of the conference. when I say explodes, I mean, it’s like a twitter Hiroshima.

I don’t understand why I also get an explosion of people saying how great lunch was at this conference.  ie: “My lunch was delicious, I love fajitas.  Now I’m going to go to a session on world hunger. #superawesomeconference09″

I don’t understand why in this world, we’ve decided that gathering together as believers/leaders and talking about what the church has done wrong or what one church seems to have right is the answer.

I don’t understand. How listening to ‘famous pastors’ talk is going to improve the world, or the Kingdom.  It seems to me the only thing that might improve is a churches numbers, and our egos. (Is that what it’s about?)

I don’t understand why we can’t use this conference mentality and gather money and motivation and hearts for the poor, hungry and broken people, instead of a 3-D projector, a new sound system, or a bus to shuttle people from our far away parking lot.

I’m a cynic, I know.  What’s your take?  Hit me.